Vanishing Into Thin Air
by Yarrharr
Summary: A "special project" escapes from Manticore...R&R and I'll add chapters.
1. Intro

Vanishing Into Thin Air

**Vanishing Into Thin Air**  
A special project from Manticore...  
  
DISCLAIMERS: The only characters I own are the ones not recognizable from the show. All others belong to James Cameron & Co., et cetera, et cetera.... please don't sue me.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please review and I will continue the story. Hope ya like it!   
  


***  


  
_LYDECKER: The first Z-series were created around the same time as the X-4s. The Z-series did not receive the same military training as their counterparts; they were trained to be spies, not soldiers.  
The Z-1s were terminated before birth when several debilitating genetic defects were discovered. The Z-2s were used as a control group. Shortly after birth, they were given to foster families across the United States without any knowledge of their origin. The Board monitored the Z-2s closely, observing their progress. After the escape in 09 and subsequently the Pulse, the Board decided to bring the Z-2s back to Manticore for safety reasons. Most of them were recalled and reprogrammed successfully, though a few still remain missing.  
It was the Z-3 group that was particularly interesting. The first of the Z-3s was born in November 2005. They had the same genetic structure as the X-6 group, with a few alterations. The Z-3s were entered into Project Phoenix a few years after birth.  
Project Phoenix was one of the riskiest experiments approved by the Board. The project scientists argued that it would revolutionize military intelligence. Their plan sounded indestructible to the Board. But they underestimated how well the experiments would work, as well as the Z-3s themselves.  
  
  
LYRA: Whenever I think about Manticore, it takes a lot of effort not to scream aloud with anger. Those ba$tards took more than eight years of my life, and now they hunt me like I'm some rat that got in the house. It's been five years since the escape, and they haven't caught this rat yet. I still remember the barbed wire, the searchlights, the blood--no, they'll never catch me. I won't go back to Manticore._  
  
  
A neon sign blinking in the gray, early morning light of the Seattle alleyway proclaimed: ABE'S ANTIQUES. Below the sign, a rust-colored metal door stood, barely distinguishable from the bricks around it. It was toward this door that a girl swiftly walked. She was of medium height,  
with wavy golden-blond hair reaching past her shoulders. She wore faded jeans and a black leather jacket over a T-shirt. Her tattered sneakers padded almost noiselessly along the garbage-strewn alley.  
  
The girl stopped at the door of the antique shop. She glanced around cautiously before rapping three times on the door. After a moment, it opened a crack. The gruff voice of a man spoke: Who's there?  
  
It's me, Abe, the girl said. Her voice was somewhat low in pitch.  
  
The man opened the door further, letting her in. I didn't know it was you, kid. Those gangsters were roaring down Washington Street last night, keepin' me awake. Abe closed the door and yawned. He was middle-aged, short, and had small, squinty eyes. His wrinkled button-up shirt was as gray as his thinning hair. Muttering about coffee he vanished into a room behind the counter of his shop.  
  
The girl looked around the dark, dusty antique shop. Battered chests of drawers and rolltop desks were crammed next to grimy porcelain vases. Few of the items were truly antique; most had been made before the Pulse and were more or less well-crafted. the store was neither large, nor very prosperous, but there were plenty of rich people who liked old furniture. The girl didn't really care. Her job was easy; Abe paid pretty well, and he didn't ask questions.  
  
Abraham Miros sipped his coffee slowly while standing at the counter. It was fake coffee-- he hadn't had the real stuff in months--but it woke him up a little. He watched the girl as she wandered around the room. He knew she was checking off the inventory in her head, making sure nothing was missing; it was as much a part of her morning routine as his coffee was a part of his own. Though the girl was only thirteen, still a kid, she was good. Ever since he'd hired her, not a single antique had been stolen.  
  
Abe remembered the day she had walked into his store, about three months ago. God knows why she was there--he didn't even remember seeing her come through the door--but at any rate, she somehow caught the thief who'd tried to steal a thousand-dollar watch. Abe hired her on the spot, and business had gotten better since then. Sure, he had worried about hiring the girl at first. She could be a thief herself, for all Abe knew. But he had to admit, Lyra was a good security guard.


	2. Any Other Day

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**Vanishing Into Thin Air**  
A special project from Manticore...  
  
DISCLAIMERS: The only characters I own are the ones not recognizable from the show. All others belong to James Cameron & Co., et cetera, et cetera.... please don't sue me.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please review and I will continue the story. Hope ya like it!   
  


***  


  
_LYRA: So today began like any other day--me showing up at the store, Abe lookin' like his usual rumpled, grey self at seven in the morning. I checked the antiques to make sure nothing was missing. I stopped at a floor length mirror, the one with the cheap gilt frame. It reflected the same Lyra as ever: deep blue eyes, slightly tan skin, blond hair worn long to hide the bar code on the back of my neck. As I stood there, I heard the door open, and I went to my post at the front of the store.  
My job is to stand on the steps before the door, just inside the shop, and watch the customers as they come in. I watch them walk through the store, seeing if they try to nick anything. If they do--well, they end up wishin' they hadn't. I help Abe out too, carrying stuff and even workin' the register sometimes. It's amazing that he trusts me. I could steal him blind if I wanted to, but I figure this way I won't get killed by some gangster who don't want to pay up.  
Yeah, it was just another day.... until the guy with the glasses walked in.  
  
  
LYDECKER: The basis for Project Phoenix dated from WWII, in 1943. During that year, the Navy used magnetic generators to render an entire ship and its crew invisible. The experiments did not work as planned, however, and all reports concerning the incidents were classified or disappeared soon afterward. The experiments were forgotten by all but a few conspiracy-theorists until Project Phoenix was created.  
In 2010, after the Pulse had allowed previously unattainable equipment to be used by Manticore, the Z-3s were subjected to the first experiment of Project Phoenix. Each of the Z-3s was strapped between two electromagnetic generators. When activated, the generators produced a magnetic field that made any object--including a human--disappear. Most of the Z-3s only stayed invisible for as long as the generators were activated. But one of them, Z-3488, never reappeared.  
  
  
_ In the alley, Logan Cale looked skeptically at the rust-colored door in front of him. He had been told that Abe's Antiques bought pre-Pulse furniture and artwork at fairly good prices, but it wasn't in the most respectable part of town. Logan shifted his bundle from one arm to the other. He was still hesitant about selling off his more expensive possessions, though it had been three months since the money from his uncle's company had stopped coming in. Logan straightened his shoulders, telling himself that it had been the duty of Eyes Only to report on the company's corrupt practices. Then he reached out and opened the door of the antique shop.  
  
  
_LYRA: The guy looked pretty average at first--there are plenty of youngish men in Seattle that wear glasses and look like they haven't shaved in a while. But then I got a good look at him as he walked down to the counter. His clothes were spotless and expensive. I could tell he was rich--or used to be rich--but he seemed nervous, almost embarrassed The guy walked strange, like he had robotic legs or something, and he carried a package that could only be a framed picture He started talking to Abe. I didn't hear what he said because right at that moment, two kids a few years older 'n me walked into the store.  
  
  
_Logan looked around the dim shop. It looked reputable enough, if cheap. He glanced to his left and saw a blond girl in a black leather jacket staring at him. Sizing him up, he thought, moving carefully down the steps just inside the door. His robotic exoskeleton wasn't always good on stairs. At the store's counter, Logan greeted the owner.  
  
"I hear you buy antique artwork, sir?" Logan asked mildly.  
  
"Call me Abe. Yeah, I buy antique art if it's in good shape," the man said in a raspy voice.  
  
Logan pulled the brown paper off the rectangular package. "It's not really antique, but it's from before the Pulse."  
  
"A Sangastia painting! These are quite rare....." Abe murmured, bending to inspect the artwork. Logan looked over at the door, where two scruffy teenagers had appeared. They didn't look like antique-shoppers. The blond girl watched suspiciously as the pair walked between the rows of furniture. Logan turned back to Abe, who still perused the painting.  
  


***  


  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, how d'ya like it? More coming soon to a computer near you...


	3. Caught

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PVanishing Into Thin AirBR  
A special project from Manticore...BR  
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DISCLAIMERS: The only characters I own are the ones not recognizable from the show. All others belong to James Cameron Co., et cetera, et cetera.... please dont sue me.BR  
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AUTHORS NOTE: Sorry about the html cr@p on Chapter 2. My computers messed up and Im trying to fix it. Anyway, enjoy! BR  
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***BR  
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Lyra eyed the teenagers uneasily. Their clothes were faded and worn, but baggy. Maybe so they can hide lots of loot? she wondered. The boy, about sixteen or seventeen years old, walked down the steps first. He and his companion, a girl around fifteen, wandered nonchalantly through the shop. Lyra knew they were probably thieves or gang members--maybe both. Sure enough, the boy slipped several necklaces in his pocket as she watched, while the girl reached for a paperweight. BR  
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She quickly jumped down the steps and walked toward the male thief. If anyone had been watching Lyra, they would have sworn that she vanished a few feet away from the unsuspecting boy as he plucked a silver letter-opener. Fortunately, no one was watching.BR  
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Lyra crept up on the thief, whose back faced her. She was completely invisible, but was careful not to bump anything or make any noise. She stood right behind the boy and slowly slipped her hand into his pocket. As soon as her fingers touched the stolen necklaces, they too became invisible. But as Lyra reached for the letter-opener in his left pocket, the boys elbow brushed her hand. He spun around to stare at empty space. Then--BR  
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WHAM! A kick to the stomach knocked the boy over. He yelled, unable to see his attacker, and the girl thief came running from another part of the store. Lyra grabbed the girls paperweight as she passed, then stuck out her foot. The second thief fell to the ground beside the first one with an audible thump. Lyra hastily flashed into visibility and grabbed the miscreants by their shirt collars.BR  
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As Logan and Abe discussed prices for the painting, they heard a thump and a yell from a dark corner of the shop. Moments later, Lyra walked from behind a row of armoires. She was alternately pushing and dragging the two teenagers, who sputtered various excuses and pleas for mercy. The girl forced them up the stairs and opened the door of the shop. She dumped the thieves unceremoniously in the alley.BR  
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If I see your sorry a$$es in here again, youll wish you died when you were children! Lyra shouted after them. She slammed the door shut.BR  
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Logan watched the spectacle with amusement and surprise, but Abe seemed used to it. Who is that girl? he asked.BR  
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Her names Lyra. She guards the store, Abe replied.BR  
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Lyra walked toward the counter. She produced the stolen antiques from a pocket and placed them in front of Abe. Those kids were stealing stuff, she explained simply.BR  
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Thanks, Lyra. The short man looked closer at one of the necklaces . Hmm, this one looks damaged.....excuse me, he told Logan. Abe took the necklace into his office to examine it.BR  
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Logan turned from the counter and smiled at Lyra. m Logan Cale, he said, offering his hand to her. She didnt take it, but looked at him warily. Pleased to meet you.BR  
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re a good security guard.BR  
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The girl suppressed a snort. s what Im paid to do. She turned to go back to the steps; this guy weirded her out. What Logan said next brought her to an abrupt halt.BR  
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Care to tell me how you turned invisible?BR  
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Lyra spun around. A mix of anger and fear was in her blue eyes. What are you talking about?BR  
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It looked a lot like that boy was kicked by thin air. But thats impossible--isnt it? Logan asked, smiling innocently.BR  
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Maybe you were hallucinating. Maybe youre just a messed-up druggie, she said angrily.BR  
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Before Logan could say anything more, Abes voice interrupted from the doorway of his office. This necklace is chipped. Ill have to fix it later. The short man entered the main room. He looked across the counter at Logan.BR  
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So, have you considered my offer? he asked. s the best deal youll find in this city.BR  
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Logan opened his mouth, but Lyra broke in. Uh, Abe? I need some fresh air. Can I take my lunch break now?BR  
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Abe looked at his watch, flustered. Well, I suppose so. I mean, its a little early, but....BR  
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The girl didnt hear him. She had already leaped up the stairs and through the metal door. At the counter, Logan smiled and turned back to the shop owner. About this painting....BR  
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Lyra ran down the alley, oblivious to her surroundings. All she wanted to get away, but the voice of the strange guy with the glasses followed her.BR  
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Care to tell me how you turned invisible? BR  
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	4. Piece of Cake

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**Vanishing Into Thin Air  
**A special project from Manticore....  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Look, this is a fan fiction site!! Of course I don't own the characters or profit off of them!!!  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I might warn those with queasy stomachs...nah, that'd give away part of the story. Anyway, please R & R!  
  


***  


  
_LYDECKER: The experiments continued successfully for almost four years. Too successfully, it turned out. For while the Z-3s excelled in their spy training, with extraordinary stealth and memorization skills, we believed that they were unable to become invisible without the electromagnets. Then, in early 2014, we discovered that the Z-3s had learned to control the invisibility on their own. Some of them were more adept than others--I recall that Z-3218 could remain invisible for the longest amount of time--but they all hid their skills from the Manticore staff. In fact, it took a security camera to show us what they had learned. The Board was angry and concerned that the Z-3s would escape like the X-5s had five years earlier. The implanted chips were removed, the experiments discontinued, and the Z-3s were put in solitary confinement, under strict observation.  
The damage was done, though. On March 2, 2014, fourteen Z-3s escaped from Manticore.  
_  
  
When Lyra stopped running five minutes later, she found herself near a small street market, one of many across impoverished Seattle. Vendors, yelling over the general chaos of cars, trucks, and Sector Police, sold everything from live chickens to TVs to fake jewelry. The girl headed to a market stall, evidently one that sold food from the steam and greasy odors. Lyra ordered a bowl of noodles and paid for it. She was going to eat at a stool under the stall's plastic roof, but saw two Sector Police hovering a few feet away and thought better of it. The police, clad in heavy riot gear, never needed an excuse to arrest someone.  
  
Instead, the girl took her Styrofoam bowl and fork to a narrow street halfway between the marketplace and Abe's shop. She ate quickly, leaning in the doorway of an abandoned building. The noodles were limp and flavorless, but she had learned long ago to swallow down anything edible, no matter how it tasted.  
  
  
_LYRA: I still remember that awful time, a few days after the escape, when I was sick and hungry and lost. My shoulder wasn't bleeding anymore, but it hurt like hell and I was having problems controlling the invisibility. Every so often, I'd look down and realize I couldn't see my feet or hands, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I was so scared that I would freeze and Lydecker would find me, take me back.  
So I was starving and weak. I had to find food somewhere, but in the mountains of Wyoming in March, there isn't much to eat. I came into this clearing and saw a dead tree lying in the middle, under a blanket of snow. Rotting wood--in survival training, they said all sorts of bugs and insects lived in rotting wood. Bugs that you could eat if you had to. At Manticore, I never planned on eating bugs; they gave us food, even if it was tasteless and there wasn't much of it. But at that moment, I could've eaten anything. So I turned the log over and grabbed a handful of grubs. The slimy, yellow things made my stomach squirm. There was nothing else to do, though....  
I guess eating grubs wasn't all that bad. I didn't really taste them anyway, just choked them down. Regular food, even if it looks or smells nasty, is a piece of cake after that (no pun intended) .  
_  
  
As she finished the last of her noodles, Lyra glanced across the street. A man was walking toward his car, an old grey Aztek. He looked familiar...she gasped. It was Logan Cale, the guy from the store! She swiftly made herself invisible, and watched as he got into the car. He probably wouldn't look in her direction, but there was no reason to take chances. The Aztek drove off down the street, and Lyra breathed a sigh of relief, slowly becoming visible again. She also fixed his license plate number in her mind: GPB-555.  
  
The girl deposited her trash in a nearby dumpster and headed the opposite way that Logan's car had gone, to the alley where Abe's Antiques was. It was time to get back to work.   
  
  
_LOGAN: When I saw her appear out of thin air, from the corner of my eye, I didn't really believe it. I thought I was, as she put it, hallucinating. But then I'd seen Max and her siblings scale walls and take out armed guards without a sweat. After seeing that, one is inclined to believe some unbelievable stuff--like a girl vanishing and reappearing. Besides, the look on Lyra's face when I asked her about it was identical to Max's the night she broke into my apartment, when I mentioned Manticore. Max....it's been two months since she died, and I still can't get over it. Sometimes I think she's coming back, that she's going to walk through that door one day and ask, What's for dinner? But I know she's not coming back. I held her in my arms that night and watched her die. God, I felt like dying after that. I would have killed myself if Original Cindy hadn't come in looking for Max and slapped some sense into me.  
Maybe I'm finally losing it, after two months of hell. Maybe I didn't really see that girl appear out of empty space. Or maybe she's from Manticore.  
_  


_***  
_

  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: If anybody's wondering about Logan's license plate, I made it up. The letters stand for Gimpy Boy, my nickname for Logan before he got his robot legz. Hee hee!_   
_


	5. Slate-Blue Aztek

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**Vanishing Into Thin Air  
**A special project from Manticore....  
  
DISCLAIMERS: I don't own these people, yada yada. Except for Lyra, Abe, and Goldy. Don't sue, please.  
  
A.N: This chapter is a double one, partly because my other chapters were so short and partly because I'm going out of town soon. If anyone has questions, comments, existentialist ramblings, etc., please send them to azurepenguin@hotmail.com. Thanks!  
  


***  


Lyra left the store, yawning, at seven o'clock. Abe's voice rasped a faint good night, kid behind her as the metal door closed. She began to head home, walking quickly through the dark alleys. Her home was only five minutes away by bus, but the buses were crowded if they even showed up, so she chose to walk.  
  
The building Lyra lived in was once a business office before the Pulse. Now, the bottom two stories were used as a warehouse. The top story, the roof sagging in several places, was occupied mainly by squatters, pigeons, and rats. Lyra climbed easily up the graffiti-encrusted fire escape to the third floor. The squatters used the fire escape, along with a ladder on the roof, to access their makeshift apartments. Lyra's own apartment was a former supply room in the northeastern corner. She shared it with another girl, a 17-year-old named Goldy.  
  
She grappled with the padlock on the apartment door, placed to deter the few thieves who might rob a poor squatter. She opened the door and entered the cluttered room. It was actually divided into two rooms by a curtain of plastic tarp: Lyra slept on a battered couch in the main room, which also served as a kitchen, and the other, narrower room was Goldy's. The older girl sat now on the couch, sewing a patch onto a much-worn pair of jeans. She had chocolate-colored skin and curly brown hair that was tied back in a bandanna. She looked up as Lyra came in and stubbed out her cigarette on a piece of foil.  
  
Lyra wrinkled her nose at the cigarette smoke hanging in the air. I don't see how you smoke those things, Goldy. They smell terrible.  
  
Goldy grimaced. Girl, these the on'y things that keep me goin' sometimes. It ain't easy workin' in them factories. She put down her needle and thread, then said in a conspiratorial voice, Did you see that Eyes On'y thing today?  
  
Lyra shook her head as she made herself a sandwich in the kitchen. Abe doesn't have a TV.  
  
Eyes On'y sez there's a factory owner down in Renton that been stealin' money--embezzlement, he calls it.  
  
Lyra asked, taking a bite of the sandwich. She wasn't really interested, but Goldy loved to gossip.  
  
That ain't all. He sez the foreman in the factory been flirtin' with the women workers, even makin' them sleep wid him. Makes me glad I ain't workin' at that factory, no doubt. Goldy finished this statement with an emphatic nod of her head.  
  
Lyra sat down near the door on a crate that served as a chair. She speedily ate her sandwich, washing it down with milk. Goldy looked at her curiously and said, Why you in such a hurry, girl?  
  
I gotta go somewhere. Can I borrow your bike?  
  
Sure, long as you bring it back.  
  
I will, Lyra said, standing up. She vanished into Goldy's room, returning a moment later with the bicycle and a pair of black gloves. She wheeled the bike to the door and opened it. See you later, Goldy.  
  
  
_LYRA: So I left the apartment, partly because I hated Goldy's cigarette smoke but mostly because I had some hacking to do. I biked across town to the old Swenson Memorial Library. It's not a library anymore; the city keeps records and other documents there. It was easy to break in. The metal door kept me from melting straight through, so I picked the lock. You'd think they would guard the place better, wouldn't you?  
I went to the second floor, where the DMV records are kept. I hacked my way onto the main computer and looked up license plate number GPB-555. Bingo: slate blue Aztek, under the name of Logan Cale, Fogle Towers. This guy lives in a penthouse that probably costs more each month than I make in a year. So why was he selling a painting to Abe?  
_  
  
  
The night guard made his rounds on the second floor, flashlight in hand. He also carried a slim flask of whiskey. It helped him feel a little less lonely, kept him warm on cool autumn nights like tonight. He quickly checked the floor. Nobody except him, his footsteps echoing eerily. The man was about to continue downstairs when he heard a tap-tapping noise, like someone typing on a computer keyboard. He moved toward the source of the noise, between the tall file cabinets of the DMV records. The guard had just glimpsed a person--a girl?--typing steadily on a computer when the noise stopped abruptly. The person seemed to vanish into thin air, and the computer screen went blank. The guard shook his head. That's some strong stuff, he muttered, looking at the flask of alcohol in his hand. Then he walked away.   
  
  
_LYDECKER: The ability of the Z-3s were amazing. They could go completely invisible at will, within a few tenths of a second. When invisible, they could not be detected by cameras or lasers. Most of the Z-3s had learned to make small objects invisible simply by touching or holding them. They could also walk through doors or walls, as long as they were not made of metal. We did not learn this, however, until the rogue Z-3s escaped.  
_  
  
Logan sat at his computer, watching the screen saver blink on. He had finished the Eyes Only broadcast hours ago and was now contemplating all that had happened recently. He had tried to forget the girl, tried to focus on his work, but ended up trying to hack into Manticore's files. It was no use. Logan absentmindedly spun a pen between his fingers, his mind buzzing. After several minutes, the man sighed and stood up, stretching his stiff arms.  
  
Tired of playing on your computer? a sarcastic voice asked from behind him.  
  
Logan turned to see nothing but air.   
  
Oh, for God's sakes, the voice spoke again, this time from his left. A girl stood where there had been nothing a moment before. It was Lyra.   
  
Logan struggled to regain his wits. How did you get in here?  
  
She sighed. Do you really have to ask?  
  
I suppose not. The question is, why did you come here?  
  
Lyra leaned on the doorframe, crossing her arms. With a twinge of sadness, Logan realized that Max had stood in the exact same place so many times.... he forced himself into the present as Lyra said, I wanted to ask you about some things. Like how you knew I turned invisible back in the store.   
  
Her blue eyes seemed to pierce him as he replied, I turned around just as you kicked the boy. A mirror behind him reflected you when you reappeared.  
  
The girl nodded. She was about to say something else when Logan's curiosity overwhelmed him and he asked, Have you ever heard of Manticore?  
  
Lyra's eyes flashed angrily. She leapt at Logan and kicked him squarely in the chest, knocking him over. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pushed him flat against the computer desk. Never mention that name again, she growled at him. Then the girl suddenly let go of his shirt. She backed a few steps away, staring at her right hand. Logan wondered what was going on ..... until he saw her hand flicker out of visibility. Lyra whimpered and grabbed at where her hand had been.  
  
Lyra, what's wrong? Logan asked, bewildered.  
  
The girl ignored him. She clutched her invisible hand and gritted her teeth, concentrating. Logan watched, horrified, as a pearly haze appeared where her hand had been. It grew denser and brighter until he saw her fingers slowly coming into visibility. The haze flickered perilously once, but Lyra kept concentrating. At last her hand was back to normal. Panting, she looked up at Logan.  
  
  
_LYDECKER: There was one flaw with the Z-3s' invisibility skills: the longer a Z-3 remained invisible, or the more frequently they used their abilities, the more unpredictable and dangerous it became. If a Z-3 tried to stay invisible for too long, he or she might lose control, causing them to flicker in and out of sight, or even freeze.  
Freezing was the most dangerous risk of Project Phoenix. It was discovered when Z3675 and Z-3221 both froze after a particularly long experimentation session. The Z-3s were unable to move, though their bodies functioned normally. It took the doctors several hours to discover that fast-acting sedatives could be used to unfreeze them. Though the Z-3s were knocked unconscious by the drugs, it prevented them from disappearing altogether.  
  
  
I'm a Z-3. we were designed to be spies--photographic memory, enhanced hearing and vision, that kind of stuff. They used us as lab rats, too, Lyra added. She was seated on the couch in Logan's living room. She felt a little weak, though her hand was all right.  
  
_ The scientists did experiments on us, called it Project Phoenix. They started turning us invisible when we were four or five.  
How did they do it? Turn you invisible, I mean? Logan asked.  
  
Lyra frowned, trying to remember. Neither the scientists nor Lydecker had explained what they were doing to the children. I think they used generators or magnets or something. They put metal plates in our necks, but took them out later on.  
  
Logan nodded. Then what happened?  
  
The girl smiled a little, her eyes faraway. We discovered that we could control the invisibility on our own. If we concentrated hard enough, we could make ourselves disappear, either partially or entirely. Pretty soon it got as easy as breathing.  
  
For some reason, I don't think Lydecker would've liked that.  
  
He didn't find out until it was too late. They tried locking us up. Lyra smiled again. It didn't work. Fourteen of us escaped, but we had to split up so they wouldn't find us.  
  
Now it was Lyra's turn to ask questions. How do you know about Manticore?  
  
Logan avoided her eyes. He didn't want to tell her about Max--it was too painful. I.... investigate things. Corruption scandals, conspiracy theories, government cover-ups....I found someone a few years ago who said he'd worked at Manticore . But he only mentioned the X-series, not a Project Phoenix.  
  
Project Phoenix would be highly classified; only the top officials would have clearance to it, Lyra explained. She looked carefully at Logan. He didn't seem like a Manticore spy--no spy would have mentioned Manticore straight off. But she could tell he wasn't telling her something. What was it?  
  
The girl glanced at the clock on the living room wall. I have to go, she said as she stood up. Logan stood up also. I could give you a ride home if---  
  
No, thanks. I'll be fine. Lyra walked quickly to the door. Suddenly she stopped and turned, her hand on the doorknob. She looked at Logan again, her eyes piercing his own.  
  
If you try to catch me or turn me in to Manticore, I swear that I'll kill you.  
  
Then she was gone.  
  


***  


  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: How do you like it so far? More will be added eventually, but I'm going out of town for a couple of weeks. Please be patient!


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